Cleat for electric wires.



No. 825,954. PATENTED JULY 17, 1906.

C. C. BLAKE.

GLEAT FOR ELECTRIC WIRES.

APPLICATION FILED 0GT.27, 1905.

IVITNESSES: INVENTOR.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

o'HAR Es c. BLAKE," or BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

.CLEAT FOR ELECTRIC wines.

To all who m, it may concern:

Be it known that "1, CHARLES C. BL KE, re-

e sidin at Brookline, in the county-of Norfolk and tate of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Cleats for Electric Wires, of which the following is a -specifica-' broken by the screws or nails by which they are secured to walls and ceilings, and none that I am aware of possess the requisite qualitiesof durability, convenience, and reliability.

I make my improved cleat from suitable insulating material-such as insulatin fiber, papier mach, and some kinds of woo and compress the same into the preferred shape between dies without employing tools to ma- I nipulate the same and finally soak the com- 'pleted cleat in some hot insulating material,

such as melted arafiin, all of which I will now proceed to escribe and point out in the appended claims.

Of the drawings which form a part of this 'ipecification and illustrate the invention,

igures 1 and 2 are perspective views showing cleats attached to a surface and holding insulated wires. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of a cleat, showing thesame feature as the previous figures. Fig. 4 represents a rod of wood from which one form of the cleat is made, with portions cut off; and Fig. 5 is an end view of-the same. Fig. 6 is a view, partly in section, to illustrate the process of manualthough the diameter of the may facturing the cleat.

Figs. 7, 8, and 9 are respective y an under view, a side view, and a top view of a completed cleat.

n the drawings]; represents a cylinder of insulating material which may be of any suitable material, and for the purposes of this Eppcification it is shown as of wood with the er parallel with the axis of the cylinder, preferably of some moderately-hard wood, such as birch. The cylinder is made of proper diameter to form a cleat to support insulated Wires of the size indicated in the drawings, e

some larger and also smaller, and portions of an even predetermined length, as a are rep' resented as cut from the cylinder so to leave Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 27, 1905.

V Patented July 17, 1906.

Serial No. 284,6 34.

parallel sides at right angles with the axis of the cylinder.

In Fig. 6, e is a die with a circular cavity Sunk in the same to form a chamber 10, having rounding bottom edges, and a central circular elevation 11, with a central orifice 12 through the die. The upper part of the chamber has a flare 8. a diameter the same as the lower part of the chamber 10, and in its center is a sliding plunger 'or rod.

As stated, Figs. 7, 8, and 9 represent, respectively, the lower face, elevation, and upper face of a completed cleat, of which 5 is a central holethrough the cleat. The upper part has a sunken ,ortion 7 for the reception ofa screw or nail ead, while the lower face has a central diamond or oval shaped raised portion or wall 2, a channel 6 on each side thereof, and an outer wall or lip 4 on each side.

The lower face of the die (1 is made the ob verse of the lower face of the cleat shown by Fig. 7 and therefore has projections corresponding to the depressions or channels 6 6. To form the cleat from the buttons (1 one is placed in the flared end 8 of the lower die 6, and the upper die or plunger 6. is forced down upon the upper end of the button by any suitable power, and the button is compressed in diameter as it enters the narrower chamber 10, at the same time the projecting arts 6 of the upper die press into the woo and form the channels 6 6, and when the button brings up upon the bottom of the chamber its corners are rounded, and a circular depression 7 is made in the end of the button. By this method of forming the cleat it is compressed into a hard knot-like density, and before the upper die is withdrawn the central rod or plunger 0 is forced down and pushes out a cylinder of the material, leaving a clean-cut hole 5 in the cleat for the reception of a screw or a nail.

I have represented all the necessary operations as being performed by the dies shown in Fig. 6; but it will be understood that the operations may be divided and be performed by several separate sets of dies.

After the cleat is formed in the dies it may be forced out therefrom by any suitable means. I have shown a device consisting of a base 13, carrying pins 14 14, adapted to enter holes 15 15 in the bottom die e and press The male die d has.

. cleat, asset forth.

against the cleat and dislodge the same. To insulate the cleats, a number are placed in a sieve-receptacle and sunk in a kettle of boiling-hot paraflin until the liquid has thoroughly entered the pores thereof.

The several figures illustrate the application of the cleat, which, as will be readily understood, may be applied to hold one or two wires, a screw 1, or a nail 2,passing through the hole of the cleat and entering the surface A, to which the cleats are to'be fastened.

An important feature of the invention is that the diamond-shaped central elevation 2 on the bottom of the cleat comes to the periphcry of the cleat on each sidethereof, so that the channel edges extend to and join said periphery, and when the same isplaced over the wires the user can see at a glance the exact position of the wires, whether they are in the channels or;not, and at the same time, when two wires are to be secured under one cleat, they are kept separate from each other the entire diameter ofthe cleat and cannot be jammed, and the insulation destroyed by the ed esof the channels.

- claim as my invention- 1. A cleat for electric wiresmade from suitable insulating material compressed on all sides. and provided with a channel on its under side Whoseedges. extend to and join the periphery of the c eat, as set forth.

2. A cleat for electric wires made from suitable insulating material compressed in dies and provided with a channel on its under side whose-edges extendto. and jointhe-periphery ofsthe cleat, and its. pores filled with liquid insulation.

3. A cl'eatfor electric wires made from a shertlength of'woodcompressed in dies. and formedwith channels on its. under side whose edgesextend and join the periphery of the =45. A cleatfor electric wires made from a short cylindrical length of wood compressed on all sides. and formed with two channels on its under side,.all the edges of the channels extendingto. andjoining the periphery of the cleat, with a central vertical hole, as set forth.

5. A cleat for electric wires made of a short compressed cylindrical l'en th of wood, having a central vertical hole t erethrough with channels on its under side, separated by a wall extending across the cleat, and having outer retaining walls or lips.

6./ A cleat for electric wires made of a short compressed length of wood of cylindrical cross section with a vertical hole therethrough having its upper edges rounded and with. a central depression,-and itsunder side provided with a central crosswise extension and outer lips, toform channels, as set forth.

7 A cleat for electric wires made from. suit able insulating material having a vertical hole therethrough, with channels on its unv der side separated by a diamond-shaped wall extending completely across the cleat and having outer retaining walls or lips, as set forth.

8. A .cleat for electric wires made from a short cylindrical button of wood, the grain of the-Wood parallel with the axis. thereof, and a vertical hole therethrough, with channels: on its under side separated by a diamond oroval shaped wall extending completely across the cleat and having: outer retaining walls. or'lips,

asset forth.

9. A cleat for electric Wires made from a short cylindrical button. of wood, the grain of the wood parallel withthe thereof,. anda vertical hole therethrough, :the upper side havin rounded edges anda central depression, tie under side-,havingtwo. channels sep arated by a diamond or oval; shaped wall extending completely across the cleat with outerretaining walls or lips, as setforth.

In testimony whereof .I have signed my name to this specification, inithe presenceof two subscribing witnesses, thisth day-0f @c-tober, 1905.

-. CHARLES C. EBLAKE. Witnesses:

ROBERT ROSENTHAL, JAMEs .E. LYNCH. 

